Mixing apparatus



Jan. 16, 1945.

H. G. HOULTON MIXING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 14, 1943 INVENTOR Harold Gifioulton ATTORNEYS Patented Jen 6, 1945 7 MIXING APPARATUS Harold G. Houlton, Louisville, Ky., assignor to The, Girdle: Corporation, Louisville, Ky., a corporation of Delaware Application September 14, 1943, Serial No. 502.275

13 Claims.

This invention relates to the treatment of fluid, plastic, or other flowable material composed of two or more ingredientswhich are not miscible, or at least not readily miscible, or in one of which it is desired to secure a rapid, uniform and thoroughdispersion of one or more other ingredients, as in making an emulsion, or where chemical reaction between different ingredients is desired, or where physical change in one or more fluids is other near the end wall l2. The ports l3 and H are disposed one inside of and the other outside of the partition wall l5, so that the material while being agitated as hereinafter described as a sub- 'stantially uniform rate of continuous bodily flow longitudinally through one processing chamber the chamberand be processed for substantially desired. a the same'length of time.

This invention is an improvement in mixing The inlet may be connected to a supply pump apparatus of the type in which the material being drawing the material from a premixing tank or in processed may be'continuously passed through a controlled ratio from separate supply pipes for chamber and simultaneously mixed, agitated; the different ingredients, or in some cases the end emulsified, or otherwise treated. The agitating 15 wall may be provided with a plurality of inlets for mechanism is of the rotary type and the processthe different ingredients and through which such ing may be merely that resulting from the action ingredients are delivered at controlled rates and of the agitator ormay also include temperature in controlled relative proportions by pumps or change or maintenance. a other forcing means; The outlet or a conduit As an important feature of the invention the connected thereto may be provided with throt apparatus is made compact by providing a pluraltling or flow controlling means whereby any de-, ity of processing chambers, one inside of another, sired superatmospheric, pressure may be mainand in communication in series with each other. tained inthe processing chamber. Suction may As another feature of the invention the chambe applied for treatment under partial vacuum, bers are concentric and communicate only at one or the'outlet may be open if operation at atmosend, so that the material flows lengthwise of one pheric pressure is desired. Obviously the port l3 chamber, and then' in the reverse direction in may serve as the inlet and the port I4 serves as another, the chambers'having separate agitators. the outlet, or the flow may be in the reverse As a further feature the chamber walls are con-' direction. centric inrespect to each other, and the agitators If it is desired to change the temperature of the in-both chambers are eccentric in respect to said material as a part of the processing, or to mainchambers. tain. a given temperature it the processing in- Asa further feature the agit to s are 001 08 volves an exothermic or endothermic reaction, trio in respect to each other, and may be driven there may be provided a jacket 16 for a heat at different speeds; transfer medium. The annular space between As a further feature means are provided for the jacket and the wall I!) may be provided with effecting temperatur control of the inner chaman inlet I! at one end and an outlet l8 at the bers as well as of the outer chambers. opposite end. The space between the walls It] V ri us oth r n v l featur wi l be ppa and I6 and between the inlet and the outlet may fr m. or will be poin d out inc nn cti n wi 40 be provided with a blame is of helical or other the following description and the accompanying form, oth itabl me gm b used t drawing, in which: vent short circuiting of the heat transfer medium is Contral longitudinal Section th u from the inlet to the outlet and cause it to flow in an apparatus embodying y invention. and a helical Or other path around the processing Fig. 2 is a transverse section. chamber or back and forth along the latter.

In theconstruction illustrated there is'provided If temperature control is desired, the wall or a cyli d i p ip a l and end Walls partition 15 is made of two spaced sheets with a II a the end Wall. ll having two ports P e space 20 therebetween and having an inlet 2| connect o s l3 a d o e of which serves as an and an outlet 22 for the circulation of a tempera I inlet for the material to be processed, and the ture changing medium. In this space or jacket other as an outlet for the processed material. 20 any suitable means may be employed t The end wall I I has connected thereto an annusure flow of the refrigerant or other temperature lar wall or partition l5 which is concentric with changing medium lengthwise of the jacket and the .wall It and spaced from-the end wall 12 so as preventing short circuiting from the inlet to the to form two chambers communicating with each outlet.

As an important feature means are provided for efieoting a turbulent flow in each of the processlng chambers.

In the outer chamber encircling the wall l5 there is provided an agitator which has a rotatable cylindrical wall 24 carrying longitudinally disposed rows of impact members 28. It is shown as having ports 21 alternately arranged with the impact members, but in some forms such ports are not essential. This hollow agitator has an end wall 29 provided with a shaft 30 extending through the end wall l2 and provided with suitable means for rotating it, such as a pulley 3|. The agitator and its shaft are eccentrically disposed in respect to the concentric walls I and I5, and as the shaft 30 is at only one end, suitable means such as a supporting flange 25 is provided at the other end.

The impact members may be of various kinds, shapes or dimensions. They are shown as rows of pins 28 extending both outwardly and inwardly from the wall 24. The pins are of such length in respect to the eccentricity of the agitator that the inner ends of the pins will just clear the wall l5 at one side of the axis and the outer ends of the pins will just clear the wall Ill at the other side of the axis.

A separate agitator 32 is provided in the inner chamber and this has its body portion solid rather than hollow. It is eccentrically disposed within and in respect to the wall I5, and preferably is concentric with the outer agitator. It is provided with impact members or pins similar to those on the outer agitator, but extending only outwardly. They are of such length in respect to the eccentricity that they just clear the wall I5 at one side of the axis.

It will be noted that with the apparatus in the position shown in the drawing, the zone of minimum clearance between the outer agitator and the chamber wall ID is at the upper side and that the Zone of minimum clearance between the inner agitator and the partition I5 is likewise at the upper side. It will also be noted that the space of maximum clearance between the outer agitator and the partition is at the upper side of said partition andthe zone of maximum clearance between the irmer agitator and said partition is at the lower side of the latter.

The agitator 32 is provided with an extension or stub shaft 34 provided with suitable means for rotating it, such for instance as a pulley 35. This is shown at the opposite end of the apparatus from the shaft 30, but the shaft 30 may be hollow and the agitator 32 may have a shaft extension 36 extending therethrough and connected to a driving element such as a pulley 31. In some con structions all of the agitator may be driven at the same angular velocity and form a single shaft.

Thus, material entering through the inlet l 3 is thoroughly agitated by the inner agitator as the material moves lengthwise of the apparatus, and it then flows into the outer chamber and thereis agitated not only by the impact members projecting outwardly from the wall 24, and by the impact members extending inwardly from said wall, but also by the flow back and forth through the ports in said wall.

The angular velocity of the impact members of the inner and outer agitators may be substantially the same or may be different, depending upon the character of agitation desired. By making the relative diameters of the pulleys 3| and 31 substantially the same as the relative diameters of the inner and outer agitators, the two pulleys may be driven from equal sized pulleys 4| of an electric motor 42, and the peripheral velocity of the outer ends of the impact members 23 of the outer agitator will be substantially the same as the peripheral velocity of the outer ends of the impact members of the inner agitator.

The driving of the two agitators at different or variable velocities may be obtained by variable speed gearing, or by connecting separate prime movers or sources of power to the shafts 30 and 34 or 36.

It will be noted that the outer chamber is directly subjected to the action of a temperature changing or temperature maintaining medium on both its outer and inner walls, and that the medium in the space 20 acts on the material in both the inner and the outer chambers. If it is desired, the agitator 32 may be made hollow, and temperature changing or maintaining medium circulated therethrough in a manner well known in the art.

An additional ingredient may be delivered through a passage in the agitator 32 and into the chamber through ports distributed along the length thereof.

In one respect it may be considered that there are three chambers, one inside the wall l5, one between this wall and the ported wall 24, and the third outside of the wall 24. Two of these chambers, namely those on opposite sides of the wall 24, have the material surging back and forth through the ports of the wall 24, so that the turbulent agitation is increased and it contacts both the wall HI and the wall l5, which may be heated or cooled. The wall l5 corresponds in function to the outer surface wall of a core, and thus may be considered as a hollow stationary core.

Obviously the type of impact members shown, or various other types of impact members, may be employed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Lette's Patent is:

1. A processing apparatus including a chamber having a substantially cylindrical peripheral wall, a rotatable agitator having a substantially cylindrical peripheral wall within said chamber and eccentrically disposed in respect to said first mentioned wall, said agitatorwall having outwardly and inwardly extending beater elements, and a core encircled by said agitator, said core comprising a cylindrical wall rigid with said chamber wall and having a chamber therein communicating with said first mentioned chamber at one end thereof.

2. A processing apparatus including a chamber having a substantially cylindrical peripheral wall, a rotatable agitator having a substantially cylindrical peripheral well within said chamber and eccentrically disposed in respect to said first mentioned wall, said agitator wall having outwardly and inwardly extending beater elements, a core encircled by said agitator, said core comprising a cylindrical wall rigid with said chamber and having a chamber therein communicating with said first mentioned chamber at one end thereof,- and a rotatable agitator encircled by said core wall.

3. A processing apparatus including a chamber having a substantially cylindrical peripheral wall, a rotatable agitator having a substantially cylindrical peripheral wall within said chamber and eccentrically disposed in respect to said first mentioned wall, said agitator wall having outwardly and inwardly extending beater elements,

a core encircled by said agitator, said core comprising a cylindrical wall rigid with said chamber and having a chamber therein communicating with said first mentioned chamber at one end thereof, and a rotatable agitator encircled by 7 said core wall, said chamber wall and said core wall being coaxial, and said agitators being coaxial.

4. A processing apparatus including a chamher having a substantially cylindrical peripheral wall, a rotatable agitator having a substantially cylindrical peripheral wall within said chamber and eccentrically disposed in respect to said first mentioned wall, said agitator wall having outwardly and inwardly extending beater elements, a core encircled by said agitator, and having a cylindrical wall rigid and concentric with said chamber wall and having a chamber therein communicating. with said first mentioned chamber at one end thereof, a rotatable agitator encircled by said core wall, and coaxial with said first mentioned agitator, and means for controlling the temperature of said chamber and core cylindrical walls.

5. A processing apparatus having a pair of generally cylindrical concentric spaced walls, a pair of concentric rotatable agitators having their axis eccentrically disposed in respect to said walls, one of said agitators being in the chamber encircled by the inner of said walls, and the other agitator being in the chamber between said walls.

6. A processing apparatus having a pair of generally cylindrical concentric spaced walls, a pair of concentric rotatable agitators having their axis eccentrically disposed in respect to said walls, one of said agitators being in the chamber encircled by the inner of said walls, and the other agitator being in the chamber between said walls, the outer agitator having beater members extending inwardly and outwardly therefrom, and the inner agitator having beater members extending outwardly therefrom.

7. A processing apparatus having a pair or gengenerally cylindrical concentric spaced walls, a pair of concentric rotatable agitators having their axis eccentrically disposed inrespect to said walls, one of said agitators being in the chamber encircled by the inner of said walls, and the other agitator being in the chamber between said walls, said inner wall and said outer wall each having means for the circulation of a heat exchange medium in heat exchange relationship with'the adjacent chambers.

10. A processing apparatus having a pair of generally cylindrical concentric spaced walls. a pair of concentric rotatable agitators having their axis eccentrically disposed in respect to said walls, one of said agitators being in the chamber encircled by the inner of said walls, and the other agitator being in the chamber between said walls, and means for rotating said agitators at diiferent speeds.

erally cylindrical concentric sp ced walls, a pair of concentric rotatable agitators having their axis eccentrically' disposed in respect to said walls, one

of concentric rotatable agitators having their axis eccentrically disposed in respect to said walls, one of said agitators being in the chamber encircled by the inner of said walls, and the other agitator being in the chamber between said walls, said inner wall having a pas a e therein for the circulation of a temperature changing medium.

9. A processing apparatus having a. pair of 11. In an apparatus for continuously processing flowable material, an outer generally cylindrical casing. par ition means dividing the interior of said casing into a plurality of generally concentric processing chambers, an inlet and an outlet communicating respectively with different ones of said chambers and means aflfording communication between the chambers in a manner to cause material to flow through the chambers in series, and an annular agitator encircling the partition means forming the inner wall of one of said chambers and rotatable in said one chamber about an axis which is eccentric with respect to the axis of the chamber.

7 12. In an apparatus for continuously processing flowable material, an outer generally cylindrical casing. partition means dividing the interior of said casing into a plurality of generally concentric processing chambers, an inlet and an outlet com. municating respectively with diflerent ones of said chambers and means affording communication between the chambers in a manner to cause flow oi material through the chambers in series, and a plurality of agitators rotatable respectively in diflerent ones of said chambers and eccentric with respect to the walls of the chambers at least one of said agitators being generally cylindrical and encircling the partition means forming the inner wall of the chamber in which said one agitator is disp ed.

13. In an apparatus for continuously processing flowable material. an outer generally cylindrical casing, partition means dividing the interior of said casing into a plurality of generally concentric processing chambers, an inlet and an outlet communicating respectively with the innermost and outermost ones of said chambers and means affording communication between the chambers so as to cause material to flow through the chambers in series, a rotatable cylindrical agitator eccentrically disposed in an outer one of said chambers and encircling the partition means forming the irmer wall or the last mentioned chamber, and a second agitator eccentrlcally disposed and rotatable in the innermost one or said chambers.

HAROLD G. HOULTON. 

